Direct structural evidence supporting a revolving mechanism in DNA packaging motors

A Hypothesis for Bacteriophage DNA Packaging Motors

The hypothesis is presented that bacteriophage DNA packaging motors have a cycle comprised of bind/release thermal ratcheting with release-associated DNA pushing via ATP-dependent protein folding. The proposed protein folding occurs in crystallographically observed peptide segments that project into an axial channel of a protein 12-mer (connector) that serves, together with a coaxial ATPase mul...

DNA Packaging: A New Class of Molecular Motors

DNA is packaged into preformed bacteriophage capsids to liquid crystalline density by the action of a portal protein complex. Single molecule packaging studies indicate that this is a new and extremely powerful class of molecular motors.

Dualities in the analysis of phage DNA packaging motors

The DNA packaging motors of double-stranded DNA phages are models for analysis of all multi-molecular motors and for analysis of several fundamental aspects of biology, including early evolution, relationship of in vivo to in vitro biochemistry and targets for anti-virals. Work on phage DNA packaging motors both has produced and is producing dualities in the interpretation of data obtained by u...

A biomechanical mechanism for initiating DNA packaging

The bacterial chromosome is under varying levels of mechanical stress due to a high degree of crowding and dynamic protein-DNA interactions experienced within the nucleoid. DNA tension is difficult to measure in cells and its functional significance remains unclear although in vitro experiments have implicated a range of biomechanical phenomena. Using single-molecule tools, we have uncovered a ...

Packaging Motors of Cystoviruses